4.
Judging from the full parking lot and the crowds at the entrance to the school hall it was clear that a lot of people had already arrived. Julia and Jonathan got stopped en route by classmates, but I was able to escape. In the foyer of the hall, some people were looking at the old photos on the walls and trophies in the cabinets. I made my way past them and to the registration table. From the corner of my eye, I could tell some were staring at me, probably trying to figure out who I was.
On the table were labels and a pen and I wrote my name on the label and the lady sitting at the table exclaimed, 'Yvaine, gosh is it you? I did not recognise you at all.'
With her little outburst several others took notice, their memories finally jogged.
'Yep that's me,' I smiled and walked through the huge entrance doors and into the hall.
It had been set up with the same decor we'd had at our matric farewell.
'Nice touch,' I muttered.
They had gone to a lot of effort. The lady that had been sitting behind the desk ran up to me and handed me a card with a gift bag. She smiled and told me to enjoy the evening. At the door stood two boys, clearly still at the school, wearing their uniforms that adorned with their achievements. One asked for my card, which I presented to him, and then he ushered me to a table. I had hoped we would be able to sit anywhere as I would've chosen the one table right in the back corner. My appointed table was in the middle on the right side of the hall against the wall – slightly hidden from the spotlight. I thanked the young chap and immediately looked to see who I was sitting with and breathed a huge sigh of relief that none of the names on the place cards were Dario, Tate or Edie. A Sharene was on my left and a Jordan on my right, along with their partners. Why was it so hard for me to remember my old classmates? The minute I sat down I checked my phone – no messages. I sent Luanne a quick text to enquire of any change in Gretha, but her reply was almost immediate and stated that there was no change. I sighed and closed my phone. While I stared around at the decor and the people milling about my mind wandered back to the night of my matric dance...
***
Tate arrived on time, dashingly dressed. I was so in love with him, and I knew in my heart that we were going to be together forever. My parents said goodbye without any happy send-off; they weren't the kind of parents that took much notice of their teenage daughter's life, as long as she was passing that was all that mattered to them. They were very unaffectionate, and this was most probably the reason I thrived on the attention and love I received from Tate.
We walked in through the arched entrance and had our photo taken together underneath it. The dance was just so perfect as we laughed and had fun all night with our friends. We danced till our feet ached so much we had to kick our shoes off. It was natural that Tate and Edie danced together, we were all very close. Not too long before the event was going to draw to a close Tate and Edie danced together again. I went to the bathroom and chatted to some other girls for a few minutes longer than expected. When I got back to our table, the song had changed, and I presumed since Tate and Edie were not there they were still dancing. I looked for them on the dancefloor, but they were not there. I wondered if they had gone to the courtyard for fresh air so I went there to look. When I could not find them, I asked one of the guys if they had seen Tate and Edie.
'They left,' he said.
I thought he was playing the fool being in the drunken state that he was. But I went to the car park to the spot where Tate's car had parked, and it was empty. I started to panic, and confusion muddled my mind. What on earth was going on? I went back to the hall and asked a few other people if they knew what had happened to Tate and Edie, but they all said the same thing.
'They left.'
Everyone obviously presumed I had gone with them, and so they looked as confused as I felt although I detected pity in many of their faces too. Well, now how was I to get home? My heart ached at the thought of betrayal by my boyfriend and my best friend. I collected my shoes from under the table and saw that Edie's were gone, and then I went outside and sat on the steps of the main school entrance. I had no idea what to do. If I phoned my parents, they would just tell me to get a lift with someone and to think for myself. My heart was beating like crazy. What had happened? Tate loved me; he had told me so earlier while we were dancing, so what was going on? We had been dating for sixteen months now and had never even had a serious argument. We declared our love for each other every day, several times a day. Edie always tagged along, but that was because she was my friend. There I sat, in a beautiful evening gown of rich purple satin feeling so befuddled I wanted to cry.
'Hey Yvaine, I heard Tate left with Edie, bummer.'
Dario appeared next to me. He was the rebel of the school. He was only at school because the law insisted he attend. His life out of school was wild and involved things us normal school children had never even dreamed existed.
'What do you mean?'
'Your boyfriend, your best friend, bummer.'
'It's not like that. There is probably a good explanation.'
'Nope, it is like that.'
He was very direct, a trait that infuriated the teachers immensely.
'Shut up, go away.'
'Tell you what. I will take you home, and we can take a drive past his house and her house and around the neighbourhood. I bet you we will find them.'
'What do you care? Do you get some kind of a kick out of other people's misery?'
'Just an offer, best you see it now with your own eyes than believe what isn't true.'
I wanted to lash out at him, but he did have a point, and I was desperate to believe it was all just a misunderstanding. I also needed a lift home. I got into his car, and first we drove to Tate's house – nothing, and then to Edie's house, and still no sign of Tate's car. I breathed a sigh of relief.
While we were driving around looking for his car I asked Dario, 'Why do you think they have run off together?'
'I am very observant, and when they were dancing, they were much closer than friends ought to be. They were under the impression no one could see them in the dark corner of the dancefloor, but they were wrong. I also saw how they scurried out of there, hoping to disappear before you returned.'
I sank into the seat wishing it would swallow me. Everyone knew Dario was a "head case" at school but if he were one thing it was truthful. It did not matter to him who would get hurt in the process because he wasn't friends with anyone, so he didn't care who he hurt with the truth. As Dario drove around the neighbourhood, my heart would race as we turned a corner and then slow down again when we didn't spot Tate's car. I kept hoping we wouldn't find it.
We landed up at Nekkies Dam. One of the after parties was held there and so Dario pulled into the campsite area. He got out of the car and told me to wait, and I obeyed, too frightened to face the possible reality I feared. He returned not much later, opened my door without a word, and I got out and followed him. My heart sank at the site of Tate's car. In front of his car was a tent.
'I dare you to go into that tent,' he said with a smile.
I did not know what to do; I was too naïve in these matters to truly think the worst.
'Why would you want me to do that?'
'If you don't you will never believe it,' he said very matter-of-factly.
Hesitantly I walked towards the tent. I was shaking and breathing so heavily the cool fresh autumn air cut my throat with every intake. I reached for the opening; it wasn't closed all the way so maybe that was a good sign.
'Go on,' Dario egged me on.
I quickly unzipped the rest of the flap and peered inside. In the background, the sound of music and laughter and loud conversations obliterated the scream that escaped my lips and the horror of what my eyes beheld. Oh, the betrayal! Oh, the deceit! Oh, the pain that my heart was consuming! Tate and Edie lying naked together wrapped in each other's arms; I was so overwrought that I wanted to die, and while Dario was laughing himself something stupid, Tate and Edie were scrambling for their clothes.I ran, I ran and ran out of the campsite and down the road. I ran into the frosty night, tears stinging my cold skin as they ran down my cheeks, my throat struggling to pass enough air to my lungs along with the choking sobs. I just ran.